Fate Symphony of Despair
by Multiverse Fanatic
Summary: It's been ten years since the ending of the fourth holy grail war. This time around, Dracula Belmont the Dragon, has been reincarnated as Soma Cruz. He and Shirou Emiya gets dragged into the death game between Mages and Heroic Spirits. Can they fight against fate or will they die trying?
1. Chapter 0: Prolouge to War

_Chapter 0: Prologue to Battle _

It is august 29, 2013. Ten years has passed since the start of the fourth holy grail war, a battle royale that takes place in the city of Fuyuki every 60 years or so. On the final night of the fourth war, a man named Kiritsugu Emiya had obtained the grail, to answer his wishes. His desire and wish was humankind's salvation and for that wish, he participated in the holy grail war to make his ideal utopia come to light. However, once the man obtained the grail, he was shown a cold truth that he did not want. He was shown that the only true way to save mankind is by destroying it entirely. Kiritsugu then, rejected the holy grail and saw that it was plagued with darkness. To that end, he commanded his servant to destroy it for good, but the result of his actions were disastrous. A fire had broke out from the dark contents of the grail, which claimed the lives of hundreds or dozens more except for one. One boy was on the verge of death from the chaos that ensued. He had lost his family in the blaze and all of his human emotions had been lost as well. As he was about to accept his fate, Kiritsugu appeared before him with tears in his eyes, happy that he was able to find someone. He was happy that he was able to save someone from the disaster that he caused. Because he was able to save someone, he saved himself in the end... and thus, the boy named Shirou, was adopted as his son. Ten years has passed after the war's end, and a new holy grail war was drawing near. Once again, seven magi will be chosen to take part in the battle and seven servants will be summoned once more in the following classes: Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker. Each servant of the following classes are known as Heroic Spirits, Legendary heroes from the past Present, and Future brought back to the land of the living with new bodies and the same desires, and grudges they held when they were alive. However, because of the dark nature of the holy grail, the rules has been altered as now new servant classes such as, Avenger, Savior, Ruler, Killer, and Shielder has been created. This is the beginning of the Fifth Holy Grail War.

It was a cold night in the city of fuyuki, colder than usual in the winter, as a young man finished drawing a summoning circle inside his apartment. The young man was a high school student, with winter white hair, that almost reached his shoulders, and grey eyes that seemed as cold as ice. He wore a long white trench coat with a blue trim, a heart-shaped pendant around his neck, and a black shirt underneath it along with blue jeans and silver boots. The white haired male pulled out what looked to be an old crown from his coat pocket and placed it in the circle. "I hope this works..." The male sighed as he took a knife out and cut his palm, letting the blood drip into the circle.

"Let it be declared now,  
your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword.  
Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail.  
Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth.

An oath shall be sworn here.  
I shall attain all virtues of all of Heaven;  
I shall have dominion over all evils of all of Hell."

The circle began to glow a light blue color as the runes began to rise up and pass through the white haired Magus. "Come forth to me at once!" The whole room was lit up with a blue light as a figure emerged from the light. As the figure stepped forward, a woman's voice can be heard. "I ask you... are you my master?" A young woman with light blonde hair and green eyes stood before the male, dressed in a blue old-style dress and silver clad armor.

Author's note: So, what do you guys think? I came up with a good fate/Story that I think you'll all enjoy. Believe it or not, this story is based off of a Roleplay that me and a friend of mine is doing. Some of the elements is based off of that story of the said role play such as, Saber being pared with the new master and Shirou being pared with another character as his servant as well, so I'm taking partial credit while my friend gets some credit as well as the new relationships will play a key factor in the story. This won't be a retelling of the storyline of our Rp but some of it's elements will be in there. You can expect new and familiar servants in this story, and yes, Avenger, will appear. This is going to be a crossover series that I think you'll all enjoy. Anyways, stay tuned for more.


	2. Chapter 1: Fateful night

Chapter 1: Fateful Night

Cover image: Saber fighting Lancer in the school courtyard.

A land of endless blades stretched over the infinite horizon. Some were monuments of a hero's past feats and accomplishments in life. The rest were were nameless, trivial weapons with no epic tale that was carried with them. However, in this realm, there was no discrimination, as legend stood side by side with the mundane, together to serve one purpose: Sword. Flames wreathed the edge of this land, heating and forging the steel that was contained within. Continuously creating, copy, reinforcing, as these flames continued to burn throughout the edges of this realm. The swords were finished but this land remained incomplete. A dream. A dream that only Emiya Shirou has known since the fateful day he lost everything including his own parents in the blaze that claimed the lives of hundreds ten years ago. The flames he had felt that day had imprinted themselves on the boy's soul, his very being. He did not understand why he dreamed of swords, but it was only a matter of course. They embodied him, representing his life being erased but forged anew, but this dream seemed different. It was a minor shift in the blades and their purpose. A revision that was hardened as steel. Before he could find out what that purpose was, he heard the voice of someone familiar.

"Senpai? Are you awake?" Shirou had awoken from his slumber with a start. The pipe in his hand, fell and landed on the concrete base of the shed. The auburn haired youth then sat up and looked around the room. "Huh?" A giggle sounded from right in front of him and Shirou had turned his weary eyes towards it. A beautiful girl with violet hair and a pink ribbon tied on the left side, leaned over him with an amused smile. Her eyes matched the color that framed them, and at this moment, they seemed to sparkle with mirth. Her name is Sakura Matou, Shirou's underclassman who comes over to help prepare and share breakfast in the household.

"Sorry Sakura." He said. "I didn't think I would be this tired..."

Sakura shook her head. "Don't worry about it. I know how Senpai works hard everyday, so it's nice to sleep in every once in a while."

Shirou frowned. "But, it's already been the second time you've had to wake me up this week. Geez, and a day apart too..." He sighed. "I'm not a very good Senpai if I can't even get up early enough to help you prepare breakfast, Sakura."

"That's not true at all!"

Shirou raised his eyebrows. The violet haired girl flushed and continued. "I like having Senpai depend on me too. You're always trying to do everything yourself, so I like times like these when I can help you."

"...Eh?"

Sakura blushed, then turned around. "U-Um...don't forget to change before you come in. I'll...I'll set up the table." She rushed off before Shirou could give a reply.

"Geez..." Shirou sighed and placed his hand over his hair. "This is gonna be one of those days isn't it?" The auburn-haired youth shook his head and changed into his spare uniform before leaving the shed and heading to his house to start his day.

And so, breakfast ended as usual at the Emiya residence. Shirou's guardian and self appointed big sister, Taiga Fujimura had just sped off and left Shirou and Sakura behind to secure the house. He and Sakura started down the road which leads to their school together and as they walked, the younger classman, sidelong glances, at Shirou even when she thought he wasn't looking and occasionally, she would look downwards and mutter something to herself.

"Hey Sakura, are you alright? Shinji hasn't been bothering you again, has he?" Sakura stopped to give the Auburn-haired youth a surprised look, but that then eased into a pleased smile and she shook her head.

"Ah, it's not that senpai. I'm glad you're worried for me, but my brother hasn't been a problem. It's just- She then dropped her smile as it turned into a searching expression. "Senpai, I want you to promise me that you'll stay home this weekend."

Shirou had given her a surprised look. "Huh? Why do you want that?"

"Well um..." The violet haired-girl frowned and bit her lip.

Shirou saw that, then shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Sakura. If you want me to stay home, I'll stay home." Shirou smiled at her. "It's not very often that you ask me such things, so I was just a little surprised you know?"

A small grin appeared on Sakura's face then she gave a meek nod in return. "Thanks Senpai."

The two stopped walking as they reached the school gates. "Well, I'll see you monday then, Sakura. Have fun at the Archery club today."

"See you senpai... Um...be careful alright?" With that said, Sakura left and gave a small wave in departure, then headed towards the Archery dojo. As Shirou headed off to the building, he was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hey, Shirou." A student, with white hair and grey eyes approached the auburn-haired teen wearing the same uniform he was wearing.

"Hey, Soma, what's up?" Shirou greeted his friend in return. As they walked inside the building, Shirou and his best friend Soma, chatted about the usual mundane stuff that normal teens would talk about. As they entered the classroom, a girl with long brown hair, tied in pigtails, approached the white haired teen with an annoyed look on her face.

"Um...hey Rin. Is there something wrong?" Soma smiled nervously at the angry girl.

"You haven't called me all week now." Rin Tohsaka said, as she glared daggers at him. "So, who is she?"

"H-Huh?" Soma said, surprised at the brown-haired girl's question. "W-Where'd that come from all of a sudden?" He stepped back and blushed slightly. "Well, you know, I've been busy this week!"

"Oh?" Rin said as she continued to glare at him. "Even though we've been friends, since we were kids, I won't forgive you if I see you hanging out with another girl." Rin exclaimed as she kept here gaze on the white-haired teen. "Don't forget it you hear?!"

Shirou sighed as he listened in on their conversation. "Man, I don't get Tohsaka... usually, she's so calm and collected, but when she's around you, she really loses it." Shirou said, surprised at Rin's change in attitude. "You two dating or something?"

Soma's face became bright red after hearing his question. "W-What?! No way! Me and Rin are just childhood friends after all..." Soma was completely embarrassed by the idea of Him and Rin, dating each other. "B-Besides, I'd never go out with a girl like her!"

"Oh really?" Rin, said, who was still close enough to hear their conversation, went from annoyed to pissed.

"Oh, brother..." Soma sighed, at the fact that his morning was not going well.

"Well, I gotta go help Issei. I'll see you guys later." With that said, Shirou left the classroom, while Soma had to sit through the fury of Rin Tohsaka.

Time had passed. It had been a normal day for Shirou as he assisted his friend, Issei in repairing the school's equipment. Later on at the end of the day, he bumped into another friend of his, Shinji Matou, who then gave Shirou the task of cleaning the Archery Club dojo. By the time, Shirou had finished, it was already night fall, as he wiped his forehead. Then, as he walked out the door and locked it, he heard what sounded like blades clashing. "Huh? No way, that can't be possible... I mean who would be out this late?"

It was no doubt. The sounds were as clear as day as if someone were shouting his name. Shirou took a few steps towards the clashing metal and was absolutely astonished at what he saw.

Two figures, were in the courtyard, moving faster than what the human eye can perceive, and attacking each other with long weapons.

"Who the hell are they...?" He had saw an epic battle between a man and a woman. The man was a foreigner dressed in blue runic tights, wielding what appears to be a long red spear. The other combatant was a younger woman, with soft blond hair, green eyes, wearing a blue dress covered in silver clad armor. What seemed strange to the auburn-haired teen was that the female combatant had no weapon in her hands, yet it looked like she was holding something. Shirou assumed she was holding a sword or something of that nature.

"Her sword's invisible?" The two combatants distanced themselves from each other and observed each other. Surprised by what he had just seen, Shirou took a deep breath and stepped back. But as he did- "Who's there?!" The man in blue had immediately noticed the auburn-haired teen who then began to run as fast as he could.

Shirou ran inside the school building and up to the second floor in a matter of seconds, as he felt he was being pursued. He then fell onto the floor as he was running in the hallways. He tried to catch his breath as he looked behind him only to see that no one was there. "Who...Who were those guys?" Then as Shirou sighed in relief, he heard a voice call out to him. "Yo." A piercing sound was made. Shirou felt a burning pain in his chest as he looked to see the blade of a red spear impale his chest. The auburn haired-teen, fell to the floor and bled out from the wound he received.

"Well, today wasn't your lucky day kid. You saw us, so now have to die." A man's voice spoke with displeasure.

"It's a sick joke for a hero to act like this... but these are the rules we gotta follow." The voice let out a sigh then vanished into the night. Shirou, laid there, wincing in pain, frustrated that he will never become a hero if he is dead. How will he be able to save anyone if he is no longer alive?

"Damn it...We were too late Saber."


	3. Chapter 2 Fateful Night II

Chapter 2: Fateful Night II

Cover image: Caster standing over Shirou in the Shed.

* * *

Shirou had awoken and found himself laying in a pool of his own blood in the middle of his school's hallway. He recalled what had happened moments ago.

The man in blue had chased after him after witnessing a battle to the death. He had stabbed him in the chest afterwards and almost died. No. That isn't right. Shirou was killed but somehow, he was brought back to life. As Shirou looked around, he happened to see something on the floor next to him. "Huh? What's this...?" It was a heart-shaped pendant left behind by whoever saved him.

Still in a daze, the auburn-haired teen grabbed the pendant and quickly left the building and rushed home, knowing full well, that the man in blue, or the Blue lancer as Shirou came to call him, was still out there. As soon as he came in, he laid on the floor, and tried to catch his breath.

"Just who were those guys?" Shirou said to himself, thinking about how he was killed by that man. Then, all of a sudden, he came.

The blue lancer had appeared right above him, with his spear aiming for the auburn haired-teen's head. Luckily, Shirou was quick enough to evade his surprise attack.

"You know, I was trying to be considerate, figuring it would hurt more if you saw it coming." The blue lancer said in a casual tone. Shirou looked around frantically for a weapon he could use to defend himself, only to find a rolled up poster left behind by Fujimura.

"Looks like the human world is a bloody place, whatever the era." Lancer said as he pointed his spear at him.

"Trace, on." Shirou had reinforced the poster to the strength of steel. He then held up his weapon as he took a step back.

"Try findin' your way to the other side, kid." Lancer had poised his lance for a thrust towards his chest, only to be blocked and deflected by the reinforced poster.

"Odd style you got there. This will be fun." He continued to thrust his weapon at the auburn-haired youth, who continued to clock the attacks as best he could. When he found the chance, he ran into the hallway, then smashed his body into one of the windows and rolled outside. As Shirou was about to run, Lancer had performed a roundhouse kick on him, which sent him flying into the wall of the shed. The Auburn haired-teen quickly stood up, and ran in the shed, in hopes of finding a better weapon and as he made his way inside, the demonic red spear was thrust again at him. Shirou had acted quick and opened up the poster to act as a shield. Although it protected him briefly, the poster was shattered and the auburn-haired teen had no weapon.

"Checkmate. I must admit, that last move was quite surprisin' boy. I still don't get it though... You think fast on your feet, yet you're hopeless at magecraft. Maybe you were meant to be the seventh after all." Lancer said as he pointed his spear at the auburn haired teen.

"Even if that's so, this is the end for ya. Stay dead this time kid."

Shirou sat up as he faced his killer. "Screw this... My life was spared, and now I'm going to have it taken again?" Shirou denied the fate that was before him. He would die without being called a hero, that he would die without ever accomplishing anything. And for the fact that he will die twice in the same day after having his life spared. This angered the red haired youth to no end. As his life was on the verge of ending, An old red rapier stored in the back of the shed began to glow as an old summoning circle covered by boxes, began to glow as well, causing a blue lighst to fill the shed.

It was then that a dark blur shot passed him and brushed off the thrust of the spear in a clash of steel. Without a pause, the parry was followed with by a blinding slash.

Sparks flew as the blue lancer raised his weapon to defend himself. "Kuh!" The force of the strike, sent Lancer staggering backwards. He glared at Shirou then leaped out of the shed. With the immediate danger gone, Shirou's savior turned to face him, allowing him to get a clear look.

Shirou's first thought was that his savior was that she was beautiful and quite young, only looking to be a few years older than himself. She had long hair that was as black as night, and cold blue eyes that would never waver. She was garbed in a navy blue cloth that was covered by black and gold body armor with her hands and back exposed revealing 3 strange tattoos.

"Who...are you?" Shirou asked the mysterious black-haired woman.

"I am Caster. You summoned me here, did you not, master?" The woman said as she kept her gaze fixed on Shirou. Her expression and demeanor seemed impassive, making it almost impossible for one to know what she was really thinking.

"Master...?" The auburn-haired teen felt a sharp pain on his hand, as three marks taking the form of a sword appeared on his hand.

"The contract is now complete. I shall deal with the enemy outside. You remain here, master." With that said, the young woman called Caster, summoned a silver sword and rushed off to face the blue Lancer.

* * *

The woman called Caster rushed forward from the shed and began her assault on Lancer. Lancer parried the woman's strikes then jumped back to observe his enemy.

"Heh. A magician trying to be a swordswoman huh?!" Caster had ignored Lancer's words and continued to attack. She swung the silver blade at her enemy's neck only to be parried by the red Lance. The two warriors attacks grew more fierce and their movements became so fast that Shirou's eyes couldn't keep up with them.

"Ha!" Caster continued to trade blows then jumped back, and summoned 3 daggers in one hand. She threw the daggers at Lancer all at once who deflected them with great speed. Lancer glared at Caster, now aware that this wasn't an opponent he could take lightly.

"Just who are you?! I've never heard of a Caster using swords before!" Lancer shouted as he crouched ready to attack. Caster said nothing as she rushed forward again, only this time her sword had been replaced by a battle axe.

"Eh?!" Caster swung the axe down at Lancer who blocked the attack with his spear. Lancer was on the defensive now. He was already aware that Caster wasn't an ordinary opponent, and most certainly with skills not what he would expect from a Caster class servant, but the weapon switch caught him completely off guard. Caster swung the axe at Lancer who was blocking all of the strikes, but then, that weapon was replaced by a spear, thrust at Lancer's chest.

"Gah!" Lancer was unable to block that one, luckily for him, he managed to dodge it allowing it to graze the side of his body.

"Tch!" Lancer jumped back holding his wound. the spear was then replaced by a large Hammer which was swung at Lancer. He managed to block the attack with his spear, but the force of the strike sent him flying halfway across the yard. Caster then summoned five daggers, and threw them at the blue Lancer who was able to deflect two of them, but the other three struck him.

One dagger struck his left leg, the second one, struck his shoulder and the third one struck him in the torso.

Blood ran down from the blue servant as he stared at Caster from the newly opened distance.

Caster had then summoned a red Rapier that emanated with a magic glow, preparing to make her next move.

"Heh, Tell me, which Land's heroic spirit are ya? I've never heard of a Caster who uses swords and spears in battle." Lancer asked the Black-Haired woman.

"And you. Tell me which Heroic spirit are you." Caster said coolly, with her gaze fixed on Lancer. "It would not be fair if I were to tell you my name and you not give me yours."

"Heh, guess you got a point there." Lancer nodded and gave her a feral grin. "Still, pretty impressive for a Caster to use a variety of weapons like that." Lancer stood up, ignoring his wounds. "A pity you're about to die now."

"Oh?" Caster stared at lancer. "It seems that the situation does not favor you Lancer. The last I recall, I was not the one who received four wounds. "

Lancer lowered his stance. "Keep talking, Caster." Shirou saw his stance and realized something wasn't right. The auburn-haired teen knew that Lancer's next attack would be dangerous. Shirou locked his eyes on the enemy servant's spear. It is the same stance he took when he fought Saber in the school courtyard, the stance that would mean the sure-shot blow that would kill the opponent no matter what.

"Let me ask you this Caster, would you consider calling this a draw?" Lancer asked as his grin turned into a serious expression.

"You intend to give up then?" Caster replied, taking note of Lancer's action. "I suppose those wounds will give you trouble."

"Nope, It's not that." Lancer said. "I'm only gonna ask this, since this match was enjoyable."

Caster hesitated. It was a tempting offer, but she did not know much about the situation she was in.

"It's not a bad deal right? My master prefers not to start, fights unprepared, and your master seems like he doesn't even know what he gotten himself into." Lancer nodded and continued. "I think it's in our best interests if we both finish this when we're better prepared, don't you agree?"

Caster turned back towards Shirou. "Well?"

The red-haired teen blinked. "Eh?"

"Should I continue fighting master, or should we take up his offer?"

Shirou was aware that if she kept fighting, Caster will surely die. He knew that that stance, Lancer took, was to signal an inescapable death.

"No, let him go. That next move... will be fatal."

Lancer grinned. "Oho? Seems like your master isn't as useless as I thought. He is right though, this next move will be the end for ya." The blue Lancer waved his spear nonchalantly.

"Very well Lancer, we will continue this at another time." The red rapier in Caster's hand disappeared. At that moment, the hostility in the air had faded and the tension that had been present since the beginning of the fight, had been replaced by a sense of relief.

"Well then Caster, this is it for now." With a single bound, Lancer leaped over the wall and disappeared into the night.

Shirou glanced at Caster then took a step back. Despite the fact that this beautiful woman saved Shirou's life and protected him from the Lancer that attacked him, she was still a strange being, with powers far surpassing an ordinary human. Until Shirou confirmed who the woman was, he couldn't afford to lower his guard. "Just, who the heck are you?"

"I believe I already told you, I am Caster, your servant. You summoned me here master." Caster said in a cool voice.

Shirou shook his head and took another step back. "Hold on, a minute, I'm not your master! I don't even know what a 'master' is."

A burning sensation hi the auburn-haired youth's hand as he noticed 3 markings on it. "W-What are these?" Shirou asked, while still feeling the pain in his hand.

"Those are your command seals. They signify a master's control over their servant." Caster explained. "Try not to use them carelessly. You are only given three."

"S-Servant? Are you saying that you're a servant and I'm your 'master'?" Shirou replied, while still confused about his situation.

"That is correct. I am your servant Caster, and you are my master." Caster nodded and continued. "So as such, please call me Caster for the time being."

"I'm Shirou. Shirou Emiya. This is the house that I live in." Shirou's face flushed, realizing how stupid he sounded, not to mention the fact that he gave away key information about himself. It was quite obvious he lived there, but it was the principle that mattered.

"I see then, Master Shirou. You are not a proper master are you? Yet you are my master all the same." Caster said as she stared at him. She would then snap her head towards something beyond the walls of the house and summoned her silver spear.

"What is it Caster?" Shirou asked.

"There appears to be two enemies heading this way." Caster said as she readied her weapon. "Master Shirou, what are your orders?"

Shirou hesitated for a moment and looked at the command seals on his hand, then he faced Caster to give her an answer. "Let's wait for them. We don't know who it is, so we should just wait and see before we do anything rash."

Caster nodded in agreement. "Very well, if that is your order."

Caster still had her weapon ready waiting for who would show up at the Emiya residence. Before long the gate had opened and the two visitors showed themselves. It was the blonde-haired servant from earlier who Shirou had saw fight Lancer, and next to her, was someone he would never expected to see involved in this.

"No way... Soma?!" Shirou was surprised to see his best friend, Soma Kurusu with a servant, the one who fought the one called Lancer.

"S-Shirou?" Soma said, shocked by this turn of events. "Don't tell me... you're the seventh Master?"


	4. Chapter 3: Explanations

Chapter 3: Explanations

Cover image: Soma and Shirou standing back to back with Saber and Caster in the background.

* * *

The two young men stood there and stared at each other surprised to see one another in the current situation.

"S-Soma? What are you doing here this late?" The auburn-haired teen asked, confused about the current situation. Soma took a quick glance at Caster then looked at Shirou confirming that Shirou had just summoned his servant and that he is a master. However, before Soma could say anything-

"Soma, I believe this is Caster and her Master. It would be wise for us to strike them down before they can make their move." The blond-haired girl chimed in with her invisible sword raised. Her gaze was fixed on Caster, preparing for her next move.

Caster was on guard too, emitting a equal aura of hostility while keeping her spear pointed at her.

"No, it's alright Saber I know him..." Soma said with a sigh. "Shirou's not dangerous. It seems like he doesn't understand what's going on, so I think we should go easy on him."

Saber at first, still kept her guard up against Caster and Shirou but after a few seconds she gave Soma a nod and lowered her weapon. Caster followed Saber's example and did the same.

"Thanks Saber." Soma smiled at his servant, then turned to Shirou. "Now, I bet you're confused as to what's going on, right?" The white-haired teen asked.

"Yeah... A lot's happened tonight and I want to know what's going on." Shirou replied as he shook his head.

"Well, I will explain everything to you, but first let's go inside."

"Sure." Shirou nodded as he began to walk towards the front door. Soma, Caster, and Saber all followed behind, however Saber stopped.

"Soma, I will stay out here and keep watch in case we are attacked." Saber said in a clear voice.

"You sure you'll be alright out here?" Soma asked with a clear hint of concern.

"Yes, you go on ahead, I'll be fine out here." The blond servant gave Soma a warm smile.

"Alright, I'll be right inside. I'll call you if I need you." Soma returned a smile and walked inside the Emiya residence. Saber stood in front of the house and stood watch almost like a statue. Meanwhile inside, Soma, and Caster sat at living room table as Shirou brewed some tea for them. After pouring them their cups, Shirou sat down with them.

"Now, to explain your situation. You see, Shirou, you've been dragged into a death game called the Holy Grail war." Soma spoke plainly.

"A game? What are you talking about Soma?" Shirou asked, still confused as to what he was referring too.

"Yes, It's a battle royal between seven magi who are chosen as masters. These masters fight each other until the other six are killed."

Shirou stiffened. "K-Killed? What do you mean?"

"Yes. You should have three holy marks on your hand. That is the sign of a master. Engraved on it are three spells, absolute orders which you can give your servant."

"Absolute orders?"

Soma nodded. "Yes, as long as it doesn't require True Magic or rather those sorceries that can't be replicated with science, the use of such an order will force your servant to obey."

Shirou was silent as he considered the implications of such a thing. Three absolute orders that can be obeyed through forced compliance. Orders that could not be accomplished by any normal means, barring True Magic. The thought of it was frightening. "Say, Soma, What exactly is a servant?"

"Servants are Heroic spirits, heroes from the past from legends across the planet. They are superhuman beings summoned by their masters to fight along side them." Soma nodded as he explained.

Shirou took a glance at Caster, who was sitting right next to him. "So, Caster's a heroine from the past huh?"

"Yes, and the servant's abilities depend on the abilities of their masters. Speaking of which Caster, you say you aren't at your full complicity?"

Caster gave Soma a nod and spoke. "Yes, that is true. Were master Shirou was a proper mage, I would be far stronger than I am currently."

"I see and as a result he can't give you any mana..." Soma let out a disappointed sigh, taking note of Shirou and Caster's situation. "Well, at any rate I guess it can't be helped. If you want a more detailed explanation, go see the man in charge of overseeing this war."

"Overseer? Do I have to meet him? It's late and I don't want to be out too long." He had promised Sakura that he would stay home for the rest of the weekend, but because of the events that has happened so far, he had definitely gone against the intent of the promise. At the very least Shirou wanted to uphold that promise at least for a bit.

"Don't worry, It's only in the next town over. If we hurry we should be back before dawn." Soma added as he stood up. "Well, Caster? What do you think?"

Caster stared at Soma for a few seconds before sending her gaze towards Shirou. "I believe we should meet this overseer." Caster said coolly.

Shirou sighed and looked at Soma. "Wait, Caster's a hero from the past right? She wouldn't be able to make sense of the modern world."

"That's not entirely true, Shirou. We servants can adapts ourselves to any era we are summoned in." Caster added.

"I see... well, where are we heading anyway?" Asked Shirou.

"Kotomine church in the neighboring town." Soma said as he headed for the door. "You ready Shirou?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute." Shirou left the living room and went to his bed room to change out of his uniform which had blood on it. He had taken out the pendant he found next to him after he was 'killed' by Lancer, out of his pocket, the placed it in a draw. The school uniform he was wearing was then replaced by a pair of blue jeans, a white and blue long sleeved shirt and a black and white jersey jacket over it. After changing his clothes, he joined Soma and the others as they headed towards the next town over.

* * *

It was a long walk as Shirou and the others through a small road side road which then lead the four through the park and across the long bridge that took them to Shinto. Soma then took the lead as they made their way into the suburbs which eventually took the straight to the church. The church was magnificent, it's grounds covering the top of the hill that the suburbs were on. Although the building was not large, it loomed over the town from its perch. Soma and the others pressed forward but for some reason, Saber paused and did not continue.

"Saber, what's wrong?" Soma asked Saber.

"Soma, I will stay out here and keep watch. You go on ahead." Without much conversation, Soma agreed and continued forward.

"Hey, Soma, how come Saber won't come with us?" Asked Shirou who took notice of Saber's hesitation.

"Beats me..." Soma shrugged, clueless as to why Saber won't enter the church. "I'll warn you, that this priest is kind of hard to deal with. You ready?"

"Yeah." Shirou gave Soma a nod who then pressed foward and opened the doors to the church. The three entered.

It was a grand chapal, with an elegant and it was large enough to hold many people. Holy and Light, was the atmosphere conveyed by the architecture in this church. As if to contradict that, the priest standing behind the alter stared back at them, emitting a presence around himself that made the air feel heavy. It was not hostility that was felt, but an undeniable aura of discomfort.

"Ah, Soma." The priest smiled. "It is quite rare to see you here." He shook his head as his empty eyes shifted towards Shirou. "And for you to bring a strange guest. I assume he is the seventh master correct?"

"Yes. I've brought him here because he has no idea what exactly he's taking part in." Soma nodded. "I've explained to him the gist of it, but he's here for the full explanation."

The priest raised his eyebrow. "...Very well." He turned to Shirou and Caster who stood in the back of the chapal. "Oh? I did not expect a master to bring his servant here. Very well, I shall allow this, this time, but know that this is a neutral ground. The rules forbid battle here." The preist nodded. "Regardless, I am Kirei Kotomine, the one entrusted with this church. And what might your name be, seventh, master? And who is the servant who have summoned?"

The auburn-haired youth paused, unsettled by the man's presence. "Shirou Emiya. And this is-"

"Servant Caster summoned forth by the holy grail. As the contract states, I have answered my master's call to fight in this war."

Shirou and Soma looked at Caster in surprise. She looked at Kotomine in the eyes and continued.

"Master Shirou is curious as to what this war's true nature is. He is not a proper magus and is uninformed about this war."

Kotomine smirked, a strange expression on the priest's face. "I see, then let us correct his misunderstandings." The priest stepped forward.

"Shirou Emiya, being a master is not a role you can transfer from one to another, nor can you stop once you've been chosen. Those who have the command seals carved into them cannot resign from this battle, as the holy mark signifying a trial of fate itself." Kotomine spoke, stopping any questions Shirou had with facts. "If you wish to retire from this war, your only chose is to fight and obtain the grail. There you will be freed from the ordeal once you've been deemed the victor. Everything will be as you desire then Shirou Emiya."

"Your wishes, desires, even those unseen burns can all be healed with the holy grail. Therefore you should desire it."

"Wha-" Shirou took a step back. The preist's words did not make sense, but they pounded in the back of his head and settled like a thick veil.

"Mr. Kotomine. I've brought Shirou here so that you can explain to him what this war is about. If you can, please try to stay on topic." Soma cut in.

Kotomine looked at Soma and sighed. "Of course Soma. Let us return to the topic. Shirou Emiya, the war you are in is called the Holy Grail War. It is a bloody struggle between seven masters and their servants for the ultimate goal of obtaining the grail. Whoever claims the grail, a wish may be granted."

At those words, Shirou finally snapped out of it. "Hold on, what do you mean the holy grail? Are you talking about the one that held the blood of Christ?"

"Does it matter? The holy grail in this town is real. You have seen the proof of it's miracles by the summoning of the servants. Such a miracle as resurrecting those from the dead is almost like sorcery. The unreality of an object with limitless power is worthless in front of its truth."

Shirou was perplexed. "If it's that powerful, then why can't we just share it?"

"A fair point Shirou Emiya, however, only one may be chosen to possess the holy grail." Kotomine spread his arms as if asking god for guidance. "You see, the Holy grail chooses those it feels worthy enough to obtain it, and selects the most appropriate owner by making them fight for it. That is the ritual where those chosen to fight, kill each other for the grail. This is the Holy grail war."

Shirou shook his head and glanced at the priest. "I'm still not convinced. I still don't get why we have to kill each other for it." He then casted his glance towards Soma.

"There shouldn't be a need for all this meaningless bloodshed."

"Huh? Hold on Shirou, that isn't entirely true. You don't have to kill the other masters."

"You will eventually." Kirei spoke with a sense of finality.

"Shirou, the holy grail in this city is in spirit form, so we can't actually touch it. The servants are spirits themselves therefore only they can touch it. It lacks a physical form so we have to materialize it with the ritual." Soma added.

"Ah.. so that's why you need the servants. Only spirits can touch spirits."

Soma nodded. "Correct, the goal of the holy grail war is to slay the other servants, however, there is no rule that says we must kill the other masters."

Shirou let out a sigh of relief. He was worried that he would have to kill, Soma, his best friend, so even if he participated, he wouldn't have to die.

Kotomine smiled and looked at the auburn-haired youth. "That is true, but let me ask you Emiya Shirou, do you think you can defeat your own servant? Can you match her in skill, speed and strength?"

"-Oh."

"Yes, servants are very hard to defeat, even if you have a servant yourself, so what to do? No matter how strong the servant may be, if their master is long dead, they will soon fade away."

It was a simple solution. In order to defeat the servant is to kill the master. But is it right to do that just because it's easy?

"Well, now are there any questions? We have already covered the basis of the holy grail war so..."

"Wait, what would you do if a complete bastard obtained the grail? Someone with a 'end the world' kind of wish showed up and won. What would happen?"

Something like that Troubled Shirou. There could very well be a master who had no problems killing innocent people just to meet their own ends or wanted nothing but violence. If that happened, Innocent people like Sakura, Fuji-nee, and Rin would all die. as a hero of justice, Shirou would not allow anyone especially those closest to him to die by the hands of some maniac.

"That would be problematic, but there is nothing that I can do to stop the one whom the grail has chosen." Kotomine spoke plainly. "Not even the church or the Mages association has the power to stop the winner. After all, it is a grail that will make any wish come true. The winner may do as he pleases. If it bothers you that much, then you must claim it yourself and be the victor." Kotomine said, trying to restrain his laughter.

"The talking ends here. It is time to decide, will you or will you not participate in the Holy grail war?"

Shirou hesitated. He made quick glances at Soma and Caster then began to think. He had to fight. He had to win and obtain the grail. Even if he had no wish to offer it, he still could not let it fall into the wrong hands. His decision was made.

"I will fight. I will participate in the Holy grail war." Shirou said, determined to win.

"I see, then the holy grail war is now in effect. All masters will fight until but one remains. The last one standing shall be deemed the winner of this ritual." The deceleration was meaningless as only two masters were there to hear it.

"Let's go Caster." With that said, Shirou and Caster head towards the doors ready to exit and Soma follows, but then Shirou stops and turns to look behind him.

"Rejoice boy. Your wish will finally come true." Kotomine spoke. "Shirou Emiya, in order for there to be a hero of justice, there must be one clear evil that you must face."

With those words, echoing in Shirou's head, the auburn-haired youth leaves the church never looking back.

Meanwhile outside Soma and the others meet up with Saber who waited for their return. "Have you concluded your business here, Soma?" Saber asked him as they approached her.

"Yes, Shirou has decided to fight as a master." Soma nodded.

"Then he is now our enemy?"

"Yes, but I won't fight him. We've been best friends for 4 years now, and I've already decided that I won't fight him." Soma had no intentions on fighting Shirou from the start. Like Shirou, he doesn't wish to fight his friend let alone kill him, nor does he wish for him to get killed in this war.

"I see, then what if he was the last Master standing? What would you do then?"

"That's..." Soma hesitated.

Shirou along with Caster approached them. "Well, I'm a master now, so what happens next?" Shirou asked.

"We won't fight each other. I was thinking that the two of us would work together." Soma said as they began walking down the hill from the church.

"That's not a bad Idea, but what about..." Shirou took a look at Caster and Saber who were both silently on guard with each other.

"If Soma says that we will be working together, then all I can do is agree." Saber added.

"I see, and what about you?" Shirou looked at Caster. For the first few seconds, she remained silent, then finally spoke up.

"I believe that working with another master will benefit us. You two are friends after all, so It's only natural."

"Good, then I guess it's decided then." Soma smiled. "Now, I can only hope that 'she' isn't in this war..."

Soma said with a sigh. Shirou Caster or Saber didn't understand who he was referring, but they could tell that something was bothering him.

"Soma?" Saber asked with concern.

"Ah, sorry. I'm okay." Soma smiled nervously. "Let's just keep going."

After a few moments of walking, they eventually hit the intersection which leads to their houses. "Well, Shirou, this is where we part. Me and Saber will stop by tomorrow to discuss a strategy on how to defeat the master at our school." Soma said as they stopped.

"Wait, there's a master at our school?" Shirou was surprised to hear that one of this bloodbath's participants was someone at their own school.

"Yes, although I have no clue who as to they are yet. We'll have to find that out for ourselves." Soma nodded. "Anyways, let's call it a night. We both need to be well rested for this war."

"Yeah, I agree. You and Saber be careful on your way home." Shirou smiled as he began to head down the road that leads to his house.

"You be careful too buddy." Soma added as he and Saber started down the other road. Just as the two friends were about to part ways, Both Saber and Caster turned immediately towards the hill behind them. "Huh? What is it Caster?"

A voice of a young girl then chimes in. "Hey, are you done talking yet?"

-TBC


	5. Chapter 4 Enter: Berserker

Under the moonlight, was a titian with bulging muscles that served as armor. His lead skin needed no protection. Standing around 12 feet tall, he wore a steel plate skirt, and had a mane that reinforced the titian's bestial presence.

Pain had ensnared onto Shirou's left hand. He was frozen in place with the feeling of hopelessness. He knew that if he moved an inch, that monster would kill him.

He was much less a man and more of an abomination, created for the sole purpose of destruction. He wielded a weapon that was much less a sword, and more of a axe. Made of stone, but it did not matter. Even a stick in that monster's hands would be just as deadly.

It was not a man nor beast, but a killing machine designed to defeat all enemies. To withstand any attack and to punish the attack, This monster was-

"Berserker..."

The strongest enemy. The mightiest adversary.

"Good evening, Onii-chan, Soma, Caster, Saber." A young girl with long white hair was standing next to savage titan.

Shirou and Soma had immediately drawn their eyes to the girl as she spoke out. Both Caster and Saber were already on guard, as they both drew out their weapons.

Shining with innocent malice, a sweet smile graced the girl's face as she met Shirou's gaze. She curtsied, lifting up her purple dress. "It's nice to meet you all. My name is Illya. Illyasviel von Einzbern."

Soma and Shirou were both thinking the same thing. She was a young girl. she shouldn't be here, yet she was. Why was an innocent girl like her standing in their way?

Saber stood in front of Shirou and Soma, while Caster stayed close to Shirou, observing the giant.

"Okay, I'll kill you now. Destroy them Berserker."

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" With the command given, the titan lets out an incomprehensible sound that could never be recreated by humans.

The monster jumps down from the hill with superhuman speed, and descends to destroy his foes.

"Soma, get back!" Soma's servant, Saber, rushes forward and intercepts the strike with her sword. The clash added with Berserker's landing makes a loud thudding sound that shakes the ground.

He attacks again. The monster swings his axe-sword which is then blocked again by Saber. However, the force of the impact causes her to slide down the hill. Saber regains her posture and charges again, trading blows with Berserker.

"Damn... I have to do something." Soma ran forward as a light blue sword appeared in his hands. The sword emitted a frost-like aura as it began to glow.

"That's..." Shirou saw what a strange weapon it was. It seemed like an ice sword, but there was more to it than that.

Saber and Berserker continued to trade blows, but it seemed that he was pushing Saber into a corner.

"She'll die." If this keeps up, Saber won't last long. No matter how powerful she may be, Berserker's speed, strength, and stamina surpasses her completely.

Caster stood by and looked at Shirou. "Master, your orders?" She said, awaiting Shirou's command. Soma, ran forward, swinging the ice sword, sending out waves of some sort of energy towards Berserker, only for him to avoid the attacks by leaping into the air then landing down again to land a devastating blow to Saber.

Shirou looked at Caster and gave her a nod. "Help them Caster! Try your hardest!"

With that said, Caster summoned her red rapier and rushed forward.

"Ha!" Caster began to swing her blade rapidly only to be parried by the monster. The force of her strikes were strong enough to push him back at least for a little bit. It was then that she began to cast a spell which sent four balls of fire from her hand, towards the titian and explode upon impact.

Saber then joined in afterwards and swung her invisible blade at Berserker.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" The lead titian let out a roar as his attacks grew more fierce and brutal, sending saber flying as she blocked his whirlwind of attacks.

Caster jumped back as her sword was replaced with a bow of some sort. She had spawned several different arrows and leaped into the air, firing them at the titian only for them to have no effect against the beast's lead skin. Meanwhile from the side, Soma was now wearing two claw-like gauntlets that emitted red flames. Soma throws a few fireballs from his gauntlets that appeared to be burning and causing the giant some damage. But even so-

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" The beast still continues it's onslaught against Saber without pause.

Berserker swings his weapon at saber with a force strong enough to send her flying. Saber was sent flying into a wooded area filled with trees in which Berserker rushed into afterwards. Soma and Caster rushed in afterwards to back Saber up, leaving Shirou behind.

"Damnit..." Shirou dropped to his knees, with the relization that during this battle, he was completely useless. Caster, Saber and Soma all fought that beast and yet Shirou couldn't do anything. Shirou has trained for the past 4 years to become a superhero, yet he couldn't even help his friends when they needed it.

"What the hell could I possibly do against that thing...?" Shirou cursed himself for his uselessness. For him, having others fight for him was unacceptable. Shirou had to help. He swore that he wouldn't let innocent people die in this war. He had promised himself that he would fight along side Caster to fight this battle for the sake of protecting the people. Despite knowing that he was weak, he still had to at least help in someway. He had to fulfill his duties of becoming a hero and to save the lives of the innocent including his friends.

"...Don't think I'll give up just because of that!" Shirou runs into the woods where his comrades rushed into.

-Interlude in

It was quiet at Kotomine church. In the elegant chapel, was the priest, Kirei Kotomine, standing behind the alter, reading off a few lines from the bible. In one of the rows, a golden mist appeared as a man with blonde hair, and glimmering red eyes materialized. He was a handsome young man, dressed in a black jacket, white shirt, and black pants, reminiscent of a biker.

"There's a sneer on your lips, holy man. That's not a good look on you." The man said, with a smirk of his own.

"Is that so?" Kotomine asked.

"So, Kirei, did you enjoy your encounter with those two half-breeds?"

"Of course. It feels as if I've been reunited with an old friend, how could I not be happy?" Kotomine spoke with nostalgia in his voice. What he was saying was true. He had met the son of the man Kirei pursued through out the duration of the previous war, Kiritsugu Emiya, the man whom Kirei saw as his rival. Now it seemed he had a son who had also been selected as a master in the current holy grail war. What excited him even more was that the young man, Soma Cruz was also taking part in the war as well.

Soma Cruz. The young man who was destined to be come the Prince of Darkness, Dracula, the Dragon, had also been selected as the master of Saber. These turn of events were all to good to be true for the priest.

"But it is as you say, the holy grail war has begun after a mere ten years. As overseer, I can only hope to see a miracle fulfilled."

"Even if this town become hell?" The golden haired-man smirked at the priest's words, fully aware of what the holy grail truly was.

"That is of no concern of mine. For it is the master's role to kill, and struggle." Kirei let out a twisted smile, with high hope that the fifth holy grail war would be even more entertaining than the last.

"For now, we shall see how this first clash turns out."

"Then I will simply observe until most of these mongrels have killed each other." With that said, the Heroic Spirit, Gilgamesh, returns to his spirit form, exiting the chapel and returning it to it's silence.

Interlude out

The white haired-girl was walking through the woods to where the battle was taking place. Most of the trees had been broken and the ground was scarred with craters. The area had looked as if a twisted had came through the forest. Illyasviel was confident that her servant, Hercules would be able to defeat the others in little time, but both Saber and Caster were powerful combatants, and it seemed that together, they actually gave Berserker a hard time, plus, the assistance from Soma was making the fight a bit more difficult.

Still, Illya was confident in her servants abilities believeing that he will overcome this, and defeat them easily. "Berserker's the strongest. There's no way he can't win."

Out from the darkness of the woods, several blasts of energy were shot at the girl only to be deflected by the bird familiars she had spawned from the strands of her hair. Illyasviel smirked at the attacker who clicked their tongue in annoyance. "My My, how scary."

The attacker was Rin Tohsaka who now, dressed in a red long sleeved shirt, and a black skirt, stepped out from the shadows.

"Resorted to sneak attacks now, Rin? Or is this the Tohsaka's style of combat?" Illya said with a devilish smile.

"Heh, you're the one who said you wanted to finish where we left off. Or what, are you just going to introduce yourself to me again?" Rin had an encounter with Illya before. Some time before Shirou and Soma summoned their servants, Rin and Illya foought each other in a mages battle. Illya had retreated back then because she had to return to her castle.

After a bit of info from her servant Archer, Rin decided that while the other two masters were away, she would attack Illyasviel and finish their fight. Of course, Rin is unaware that Soma Cruz and Shirou Emiya were the masters of the two servants fighting Berserker.

"Introduce myself? If you were one of those two boys, I might consider it. But with you I don't feel like it. Besides, what else do I have to say to somebody who's gonna die here?"

With those words said, Rin began to fire several Gandr shots at Illya only for her familiars to intercept the shots with small white beams. The white beams were deadly and if Rin wasn't careful, getting hit from those would mean instant death.

Rin ran around the corner of the trees, trying her best to evade the beams while shooting more gandr shots at the familiars. The beams continue to intercept the shots until Rin trips and falls into a ditch.

Rin had to think fast. If those familiars flanked her, it would be the end. The master of the familiars slowly walks up with a smile on her face.

"My, such nimble prey. Since you've done so good I'll add two more just for you." Illya giggled as she spawned two more bird familiars out of her hair.

"Oh, come on!" Rin complained, but still, that didn't make her situation any better. Rin had pulled out a green jewel she had in her pockets. Rin stepped out of the ditch and faced Illya.

"Hm? A frontal attack? Brave, but foolish Rin."

Rin said nothing as she ran to the side around Illya, then stopped and threw the green gem which exploded into a green light that formed a type of rectangle to act as a shield. As Rin expected, the Familiars began fire multiple beams at her that was blocked by the "shield" that Rin created.

She managed to take out two of the familiars with her Ganr shots, but then-

_Shatter._

Somehow, Illya had broken through her defense and shattered her shield completely. It turns out, that one of Illya's familiars had transformed into a sword of some kind and shot itself at her, breaking her defenses.

This was bad. Despite there being one familiar left, she was out of jems she could use.

"I'm impressed, you've mannaged to fend of Zelle, but you won't be able to block Degan." Illya smiled as the last familiar became a sword.

"This is the end for you Rin. I thought that this would be a little more fun, but I'm actually disappointed." The sword familiar pointed itself at Rin, ready to be fired.

"A death like this befits a disgraceful hind to be skewered." With that said, the sword shot itself at Rin. Time freezes. Rin can see the sword striking her heart. A massive blade moving almost the speed of a bullet has her name on it. Death awaits her. In her mind, she asks her self, "Is this really the end?" Will she die without ever conveying her feelings to the one boy she cares about the most? What will he say when he finds out that she was killed?

As she was about to give up all hope, Several arrows with a violet glow rain down from the sky moving twice the speed of the sword, and deflects it. distracting Illya and giving Rin a chance to make her escape.

Once Rin was away from Illya, she rested her back against a tree to catch her breath.

"Master. Are you alright?" A young girl's voice. The girl's voice sounded cold and emotionless, lacking a sense of empathy as it echoed throughout the woods.

"Yeah... you actually saved my life." Rin said while trying to catch her breath. "Say Archer, can you sense Berserker's master?"

"I'm sorry, Master but I've lost sight of her." Archer said coldly. "It seems that our best course of action against berserker would be to eliminate his master, however, that seems to be difficult as well."

"Yeah, no kidding.. Listen Archer, we're falling back for the night. Let me know if there's anyone nearby." Rin said after regaining her composure.

"Understood." And with that, Archer's voice was no longer heard. Rin had retreated into the woods, away from the conflict.

The battle between the three servants grew fierce. Saber was still trading blows with Berserker, while Caster was there to back her up. If Saber or Caster fought Berserker by themselves, they would not be able to push the titan back as much as they did. Together, Berserker was beginning to get overwhelmed.

Caster continued to trade blows with Berserker with different weapons. She had summoned a large sword and swung it at the titan with great force, that it sent Berserker flying into the air. Berserker landed into an open space that was actually a cemetery. Saber rushed in from the side and slashed at Berserker, giving him a deep cut across his chest. Caster on the other hand switched to her red rapier and struck him with 4 rapid slashes across his back. Berserker retaliated and swung his axe sword which caster evaded.

Several orbs appeared around the black-haired servant and shot bolts of lightning at the raging titian which had little effect on him.

Saber stood at Berserker's left while Caster stood on the right. The two female warriors together would eventually overpower the mad warrior if they both attacked at once. On a small cliff, Soma stood, watching the battle as Shirou had joined up with him.

"What's happening, Soma?" Shirou asked, out of breath after running through the woods.

"The fight seems to be at a stalemate right now. Berserker is still keeping up with both Saber and Caster, but it seems that the two of them are slowly overpowering him." Soma explained as he looked onto the battle field.

"It seems like they deliberately led Berserker to this place don't you think?" Shirou added.

"Yes, Fighting that monster without any sort of cover would be suicide. Saber and Caster had the same Idea in luring him here. Now, it seems like we actually have a chance."

As the two teens looked onto the battlefield, Saber had pointed her invisible sword at Berserker. caster stood there silently waiting for his next move.

"We have neither desire to converse nor the freedom to name ourselves. Our conversation is only limited to blows meant to kill one another. Very well, I shall answer with a strike with all of my might." Saber proclaims as she raises her blade.

"This is where you fall Berserker!"

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" Berserker lets out a loud roar as he raises his weapon and smashes the ground, sending a shockwave towards Saber. She rushes forward at full speed, through the oncoming earth and charges at the titan for a thrust.

Berserker attempts to block the thrust with his hand, only for it to get stabbed through. He then raises his weapon before Saber's hidden blade, became visible with a glowing golden light, that shot out like a beam and erased most of Berserker's body leaving a huge hole where his chest used to be, and his shoulder, gone as well.

Berserker fell to his knees, his demonic red eyes became black an empty, signifying that the raging beast was defeated.

Saber let out a sigh as she sheathed her sword.

"Phew, She did it..." Soma said with relief as he ran towards his servant. "Are you alright Saber?"

"Yes, Soma I am alright." Saber said with a smile. "Berserker has been dealt with, now we-" Saber paused as she saw something that shouldn't be happening.

Berserker's wound was healing. But of course Illya expected this. This was Berserker's Noble phantasm: God Hand. It allows Berserker to be resurrected from the dead for a total of twelve times. After he is resurrected, the attack that killed him, will become ineffective the second time around. Soma, Saber, and Shirou stood in shock as Berserker's wound became nonexistent.

Then a woman's voice calls out. "Everyone get back!" It was caster who called out to the others. Shirou had a feeling that Caster was about to do something and if Soma and Saber remained where they are, they would get caught in it.

"Guys, we should get out of here. caster's about to do something." Shirou warned them. Soma nodded then turned to Saber. "Let's go Saber."

"Right." The three got as far way from Berserker and Caster as they could. Berserker, now fully revived let out a roar as his eyes glowed red again.

Caster took a stance. She then extended out her hands as the ground beneath her began to shake. Small pieces of the ground began to lift up before Berserker rushed at Caster with his sword raised. Then, She cried out the name of her ultimate attack.

"Dominus Union!"

Red and violet Flames appeared around her, and extended in a large wave similar like an explosion and reduced the surrounding area to ashes. Half of Berserker's body was blown away and continued to burn from the after effects.

But still, Berserker lived. Because of his noble phantasm, Berserker's body began to heal albeit slowly. Caster however, had fainted and was laying on the ground in a pool of blood. Shirou had noticed this and immediately ran out towards her.

"Caster!" Shirou held her body, fortunately, she was still breathing, but was very weakened after using her noble phantasm.

"My it seems I have a better impression about your Caster Onii-chan." Illya's voice was heard but she was nowhere to be seen.

"I don't care about Saber anymore, but I've taken an interest in your Caster." Illya added.

"You mean to tell us that you are running away, Master of Berserker?" Saber said demanding.

Shirou looked through the remaining flames and saw the white haired girl standing there The healing Berserker, walked towards his master and lifted Illya on his shoulder.

"It's time to go Berserker. Bye bye Soma. It was nice meeting you, and I'll see you later Onii-chan." With that said, Illya and her servant, disappeared into the flames.

"That was incredible... for Berserker to still come out alive from a noble phantasm like that." Soma said surprised. It was then that he noticed something. "Huh? What's wrong Shirou?"

Shirou felt sick to his stomach and spit up a large amount of blood before passing out.

"Shirou? Shirou! Hang in there!"

Far away from the battlefield, a young man with deathly pale skin, long white hair, and golden eyes dressed in a dark overcoat had been observing the battle up to it's end, taking note of Soma and his servant Saber. "As I thought... it's him. Father's reincarnation." The man said with bitterness in his voice.

-TBC

Author's note: So what did you guys think? So far, this chapter has been filled with action. here Illya and Berserker is introduced and Illya will play a key role in both Soma and Shirou's lives later on. Rin is the master of Archer, however, it's not Heroic Spirit EMIYA sadly. But you'll find out her identity in later chapters. Caster's Identity is Shanoa from Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. In this story Soma Cruz is the descendant and reincarnation of Gabriel Belmont and Saber will have a connection to him which you'll have to find out later in the story. The man at the end is Alucard from Lords of Shadow.

Anyways, More characters from Castlevania and other works will be appearing, including a character from Kyoukai no Kanata as one of the masters. Anyways, stay tuned for more.


	6. Chapter 5: Explainations II

A dream. This is the dream of the story that takes place five years ago. Ever since he was saved from the calamity that claimed the lives of many including his parents, the boy named Shirou, has always admired his adoptive Father, Kiritsugu for his efforts in becoming a hero. On that night, he had told the boy how much he wanted to become a savior who protected the innocent, and how hard he strived to do so. However, he realized that he could not obtain the utopia he dreamed of. The man knew that his dream was impossible, so he eventually gave it up.

He could save one person, but he could never save everyone else, let alone the whole world. The boy nodded and said, "I guess it can't be helped." And so, the boy decided to carry out his dream for him. Kiritsugu sighed with relief, knowing that his son will do his best to carry out his dream, and as he felt that moment of relief, Emiya Kiritsugu disappeared from the world. Ever since that night, Shirou has devoted himself to carrying out his dream of becoming a Hero of Justice. For the next five years, Shirou would train hard to do all in his power to help those in need. But as the years went on, Shirou became unsure of himself. He definitely wanted to become a Hero of justice, but he didn't know how he would go about it. Shirou had spent the last five years, training only to be met with little results. And now of all things, Shirou has entered the Holy Grail War. A battle where Mages kill each other for an omnipotent wish granting chalice that will grant any wish.

Shirou has no desire for the Holy Grail at all, and despises its use. He hated the fact that so many people has died over obtaining this thing, whether they were master or just a normal person who got caught up in it all, all Shirou knew is that this thing caused the deaths of many. He could not allow a tragedy like the one from ten years ago happen again. If a master who wanted nothing but chaos obtained the Grail, then everyone would die. Shirou swore that he would fight to put an end to the holy grail wars and to protect the innocent from harms way.

Taiga, Sakura, Rin, Issei, Hakuno, Ayako, even Shinji. He swore to protect everyone from the possible dangers that awaited them. That was his motive to fight. And his long time friend, Soma Cruz, is also deeply involved in this battle.

He and Shirou decided that they would work together to defeat the other masters and protect the city from those who have malicious intentions, but who's to say that He and Soma wouldn't fight each other at some point. Shirou has known him since middle school and he knows that Soma would never do anything so horrible to anyone. Despite him, hiding the fact that he was a magus, he knew what type of person he was.

But still, a dark feeling lingered. A chilling feeling that hinted the coming of something tragic. Shirou did not know what was coming, but it most certainly did not seem pleasant. Shirou's doubts began to swirl in his head as his dream fades away.

Shirou had begun to wake up from his deep slumber. He sat up and looked around, acknowledging that he was back home, in his bed room.

"What a weird dream..." Shirou said rubbing his eyes. He then saw that he had bandages wrapped on his body. "Huh? did I get hurt or something?"

The auburn-haired teen, walked into the living room to see that there was no one there. Sakura was not there, cooking breakfast and the living room was lacking Taiga's noisiness. "Guess I'll start cooking breakfast now." As Shirou was about to start his daily routine, he is greeted by a familiar voice.

"Ah, you're awake Shirou." Soma said, as he entered the room.

"Soma? What are you doing here?" Shirou asked his friend, confused as to why he was at his house so early in the morning.

"I've been tending to your wounds since late last night. You remember don't you?"

"Last night...?" It was then that it clicked. Shirou had recalled what happened the night before. The blue Lancer who tried to kill him twice, The woman called Caster who appeared and protected him, the Holy Grail War, and that monster called Berserker. Shirou had rememebred everything, which then something else clicked. "Wait, what about Caster? Is she alright?"

"She's alright for the time being, but she won't be able to fight for a while." Soma explained.

"How come?" Shirou asked.

"When Caster used her noble phantasm, it almost killed her. I'm amazed she even survived, but now her mana is low.." Soma replied, explaining Caster's current condition.

"What's going to happen to her?" Shirou asked, concerned about his female comrade's well being.

"If Caster doesn't get the mana she needs, she could disappear."

"D-Disappear?!" Shirou said, shocked as he sat up. It was already bad enough that the girl he just met saved his life, and that he was unable to fight with her, but now her life was on the verge of ending because she fought for him.

"Damn... if only she didn't use that last move." Shirou gritted his teeth in frustration.

"It's not too late to save her." Soma said as he pulled out seven jewels from his coat pockets. "There's a lot of mana stored in these. Have Caster siphon the mana from these gems and she should be alright."

Shirou smiled at his friend and nodded. "I see, thanks Soma." After thanking Soma, he then realized something was missing.

"Hey, where's Saber? Didn't she come here with you when you brought me back?" Shirou asked, wondering what happened to the blonde haired servant.

"After we brought you here, I asked Saber to return home and wait for me. She's fine, so don't worry." Soma said with a reassuring smile.

After what happened last night, Shirou wanted to question Soma on a few things. He figured that now was the right moment to ask him.

"Soma. Can I ask you something?" Shirou asked with a serious expression on his face.

"What is it?" Soma replied.

"When we our servants were fighting Berserker, you tried to help them out a bit. What kind of magic did you use back there?" For some reason, Shirou was curious as to know what the true nature of his friend's magical abilities and the nature of that sword he used.

"Well... the magic I used was Void and Chaos." Soma said as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Void and Chaos...?" Shirou repeated as he scratched his head at the unfamiliar terms. "I've never heard of that kind of Magic before."

"It's a rare magic that's only been used in my bloodline..." Soma nodded, then looked down as if remembering something unpleasant.

"Your bloodline? Then, you're from a family of magi?" Shirou asked. As long as he knew Soma, he was always under the impression that he was an orphan who had no other relatives, much like himself.

"Something like that..." Soma said with a sigh. "I guess it's alright to tell you about my past." With that said, Soma took a deep breath and gave Shirou a serious look.

"Your past?" When Shirou really thought about it, Soma had never told him or anyone about his childhood, nor anything about his family. Shirou was curious to what sort of childhood Soma had, although he kind of imagined that it was way better than that of his own.

"Well, where should I start? For starters, I don't really remember my parents, but I do remember being raised in a facility in Europe." Soma, said, recalling his past.

"A facility? What was it?" Asked Shirou.

"In that place... I was trained to become a highly skilled killer. I remember undergoing harsh training sessions too..." Soma continues as he remembers more about his rough childhood.

"That's..." Shirou was shocked. He couldn't believe Soma was forced to endure all of what he just said, as a small child. Shirou lost his family 10 years ago, but to him, being brutally trained as a very young child to become a cold-blooded murderer was even worse than what Shirou went through.

"Luckily, when I was seven, Mr. Tokiomi Tohsaka came and took me from there. Ever since then I lived with the Tohsaka's and I became friends with Rin." Soma said as he smiled, remembering the days he spent with Rin when they were children.

"Does Rin know about you, being a magus?" Shirou asked.

"Yes, but she doesn't know about the time I spent at that facility." Soma said with a nod. "Oh, and you should know, that Rin's a Magus too."

"S-Seriously?" Shirou said surprised.

"Yes, the Tohsaka family is a long running family of magi who are the overseers of Fuyuki. They have also participated in the holy grail war for generations."

"Then, does that mean Rin's a master too?" Shirou replied.

"I certainly hope not..." Soma said as he let out a huge sigh. "Anyway, I should get going. If I'm not back soon, Saber's going to worry." Soma said with a smile as he stood up and headed for the door.

"Y-Yeah..." Shirou nodded in agreement. "I'll have Caster siphon the mana from those gems you gave me."

"Yes, and tell Caster that she shouldn't use her noble phantasm like that again, or else she'll die for sure." Soma added.

"I will." Shirou nodded and smiled. "Thanks for helping me out. I'm really glad we aren't fighting as enemies."

Soma looked back and returned the smile. "It was no problem at all. Besides, friends are suppose to help each other out right?" And with that said, the white-haired teen exited the Emiya residence, leaving Shirou alone who was still soaking in all of what his friend just told him.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the Tohsaka Mansion, Rin was listening to Archer's report of the battle between, Saber, Berserker, and Caster that took place the previous night. The servant appeared to be a young girl, around Illya's age, with long black hair, and violet eyes. She wore a white long sleeved shirt, purplish skirt, and black leggings. On her left arm, was some kind of round device and on her wrist was a purple gem. This was Archer, Rin's servant.

"And so, it seems that after, caster used her noble phantasm, Berserker was so badly wounded that he had to retreat." Archer said in a voice that lacked emotion. "At the very least, we now, know the noble phantasms of Berserker and Caster."

"And what about the masters of Caster and Saber?" Rin said, as she listened.

"They both appear to be around your age, master. Saber's master seems to be a skilled magus and a warrior, however, Caster's master is a total novice and lacks any magical abilities." Archer spoke, as she described the appearances of both masters and caster's condition after she used her noble phantasm.

"Oh?" The description of the masters caught Rin's interest, especially Saber's as she shook her head. "Well, judging from Caster's condition, it's safe to assume that she won't last no longer than another day or two. Of course this means, we'll have to worry about Saber, and there's still the matter of Berserker.."

"Master, I believe it's possible that both Saber and Caster are working together." Archer stated.

"As I thought..." Rin nodded. "Good work, Archer." Rin smiled in approval of the information that her servant provided, feeling as if she was getting closer to victory.

"So, have you remembered which heroic spirit you are?" Rin asked her servant, hoping to get a good answer.

"No. I'm sorry, Master, but my memory is still incomplete." Archer said as she shook her head.

"What?! You mean you still can't remember?" Rin exclaimed.

Archer replied as she shook her head once more. "Don't take this the wrong way, but there was a fluke in my summoning. As a result, something happened, and I've lost all knowledge of my personal history, my home, and even my own name."

Rin groaned in annoyance, disappointed that her servant can't even remember who she is. "I see... we'll have to do something about your amnesia in due time."

Archer gave her master a nod and turned her back to her. "I'll keep an eye on Saber's master... He may be useful to us." Archer flipped her hair before returning to her spirit form.

* * *

It's been at least 15 minutes since Soma left the House of Emiya. His original destination was his apartment, however, before he could return, he wanted to by Saber some clothes that she can wear when going outside. Like Caster, Saber can't enter spirit form either, but not due to Soma unable to supply her with Mana, but for the fact that Saber is a very rare Heroic spirit.

To that end, Soma spent the next 8 minutes shopping for clothes that suited saber. He bought a long white sleeve shirt, a blue dress, and a pair of brown boots, along with a white jacket and blue scarf. Soma believed that these clothes would suit Saber better than anything else.

As Soma walked out of the store, carrying three bags, he would feel someone tug the back of his coat. "Huh?"

The white haired teen turns around only to see someone he never would've expected to run into at a place like this. "W-What? What are you doing here?"

-TBC

Author's note: Another chapter is finally finished! In this chapter, Soma's past is revealed. Soma was raised at a facility to be trained as a killer, for the mages association, however, Tokiomi, had taken him out of there and took him in with the hopes that Soma would marry into the Tohsaka family. Needless to say, that Tokiomi only saw the descendant of the first Belmont as trophy. The next few chapters will have more of Soma and Saber in it, as we begin to see her connection to Gabriel/Dracula. Yes, Archer is Houmura from PMMM. No Archer EMIYA in this story sadly.

Zobek will be appearing in the story, who will serve as one of the primary antagonists. Yes, he will be participating in the war as a Master, so you should expect to see him very shortly. Also, Alucard will have a big role here, as he will become Shirou's teacher and trains him in combat. Now, I'll put up the servant stats for the heck of it and show you how strong they are.

Servant Stats: Caster

Spirit: Shanoa  
Master: Shirou Emiya  
Alignment: Lawful Good  
Strength: B Mana: B  
Endurance: B Luck: C  
Agility: B N. Phantasm: Dominius Hatred, Dominus Anger, Dominus Union

Personal skills: Glyph Magic

Servant Stats: Saber

Spirit: Arturia Pendragon  
Master: Soma Cruz  
Alignment: Lawful Good  
Strength: B Mana: B  
Endurance: A Luck: B  
Agility: B N. Phantasm: Excalibur Invisible air

Servant Stats: Archer

Spirit: Heroic Spirit Homura  
Master: Rin Tohsaka  
Alignment: Chaotic Good  
Strength: D Mana: B  
Endurance: B Luck: C  
Agility: C N. Phantasm: -

Personal skills: Time Manipulation


	7. Chapter 6: Date with a Devil

Soma stood in shock as he encountered someone he never would have expected to see.

"I'm glad you're alive, Soma." It was Illyasviel. The master of the savage brute that tried to murder him and his friend the previous night.

Soma was frozen in place as he was trying to process his current situation. This girl controls the titain called Berserker. The same girl who belongs to a family of magi who started the blood bath in fuyuki known as the Holy Grail Wars. _"Why is she here?"_ Soma thought to himself as he slowly backed away from the white-haired girl.

"Illya..?" Soma said, blurting out her name. The white haired girl didn't respond and instead, tilted her head in wonder.

"S-Sorry, if I got your name wrong!" Soma apologized, afraid that she was mad at him for saying her name wrong. "I didn't mean to make you mad."

Illya then gave the white-haired teen a smile. "It's alright, I'll forgive you for what you did. But on one condition..." Illya's innocent smile turned into a sinister one.

"A-And that is?" Soma asked as he felt a chill run down his spine.

"I want you to spend the day with me!" Illya said cheerfully as she embraced his arm.

"H-Huh?!" Soma exclaimed, surprised at the snow-haired girl's request. "You mean... like a date or something?"

"Yeah, just the two of us." Illya nodded happily. The situation confused Soma even more as he was now being dragged into a date with the girl who tried to kill him.

"B-But why? Weren't you trying to kill me last night?" The white-haired youth said as he shook his arm.

"In the daytime, masters don't fight each other right? So it's fine!"

Soma then let out a sigh and nodded. "I guess it's okay..." The white haired youth agreed to spend the day with her. He had a feeling that if he rejected her, she would be upset and in that would result in the death's of both him and Saber.

"Okay!" Illya clung onto his arm and pulled him. "Let's walk around the city for a bit."

Soma let out another sigh as the white-haired girl pulled on him. Even though Illya was a stranger, he felt a sense of familiarity from her.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Emiya residence, Shirou was rummaging through old items that his father, Kiritsugu owned. When he was still alive, Kiritsugu would often leave unexpectedly and travel a lot, coming back home with many different items. Some were just random souvenirs while others, seemed to stand out, such as, old books with various numbers of spells and strange relics, such as a cross-shaped item. As he looked through his stuff, something caught Shirou's eye.

It was an old photo. In the photo was his father Kiritsugu Emiya, dressed in a black suit and overcoat but there were two others that he didn't recognize. Standing next to him, was a woman who appeared to be an older version of Illyasviel garbed, in a white dress and a built man who had brown hair, a beard, and a scar across his left eye. The man wore clothing that appeared to be a mix of both Modern and ancient.

"Huh? Who are they?" Shirou would then see the names, written in cursive on the bottom. _"Kiritsugu Emiya, Victor Belmont, Irisviel von Einzbern."_

The first thing Shirou thought was that these two were old associates of his father, but then he noticed that the woman had the surname, 'Einzbern'. The surname of the little girl who tried to kill him last night.

"Einzbern..." Shirou muttered the name. His father had a connection to the Einzbern family, and Shirou wondered what it could be. What's more- "Belmont..."

He was also drawn to the name, "Belmont" feeling a sense of familiarity with it, although he could not figure out what it was. Even the man in the picture standing next to his father and the older looking Illyasviel looked somewhat familiar to him, but why? Why did the name Belmont strike him as familiar, and why does he develop a sense of deja vu when he sees the man known as Victor in this photo. Shirou had to figure out what the connection was between them. As he pondered about it-

"Master Shirou?" He was greeted by a familiar voice. It was Caster, who had been in bed for most of the day because of the mana she used up against Berserker. Caster enters the shed where Shirou was located.

"Caster, you're up?" Shirou asked the black-haired servant. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Yes. Although last night's battle rendered me weak, thanks to those gems you gave me, I am still able to fight in future battles. More importantly, are you feeling well, Shirou?" Caster said in her usual cold tone.

"Hey now, I should be asking you that! You almost died last night after using that attack." The red-haired youth exclaimed. Shirou felt somewhat bad about having Caster fight Berserker herself. Although Soma and Saber were there helping her, he still felt responsible for allowing her to almost die for his safety.

"Anyway, I don't want you using that again." Shirou said, worried about the next time she uses her noble phantasm.

"very well... if that's what your orders are, then I will obey." Caster said, with a nod. "But Shirou, Noble Phantasms are a servant's trump card. If we are faced with a strong adversary that we cannot defeat with our skill alone, then we must use our Noble Phantasms as a last resort."

"Look, I get that, but it's still to dangerous to use. The next time you do that, you might disappear for good!" Shirou exclaimed.

"I see... then I will not use it unless I absolutely have to. So do not worry about my using it a lot."

Shirou sighed in relief. "I'm glad... as long as you don't use it so rashly, I'm happy." Shirou gave his servant a warm smile.

Caster's cheeks became slightly pink as she nodded. "I... am sorry for worrying you Master. I promise I'll be more careful in the future."

"It's fine, I'm just glad that you're okay." Shirou nodded. Then, something hit him. There were many things Shirou wanted to ask the raven haired servant, but he never got around to ask her anything. Since she was here, this would be a good time for any questions any of them may have.

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Shirou asked.

"What is it, Shirou?" Caster replied.

"You want to obtain, the Holy Grail right? What's your wish?" The auburn-haired teen was curious about what his servant's wish was. Being that he had just met her he wanted to know if her wish was something good, or something malicious. If it was something else, then Shirou would help obtain it, despite him being the weakest master.

"My wish... My wish is to simply fulfill the duties that I failed to complete during my life time." Caster's tone did not change, however, Shirou could tell that something was bothering her.

There was a moment of silence. Caster was recalling what happened in her past which made her feel angry with herself for her failure, but she did not show any signs of it. Before, any of them could say anything, a familiar voice is heard.

"Senpai? Are you here?" It was the voice of Sakura Matou who appeared to be at the front door.

"Crap! Um, Caster, stay here. Don't leave the shed until I get back okay?" Shirou said frantically as he ran into the house. Shirou eventually made it to the door and opened it.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?" Shirou asked the violet-haired girl.

"Well... I just came by to see how you were doing." Sakura nodded shyly. "Um... you didn't leave the house any time last night, did you?"

Shirou remembered that he promised Sakura that he wouldn't go anywhere during the weekend, but because of what's happened lately, He couldn't uphold that promise as much as he wanted to. Shirou hated lying, especially to those he was close with, but he couldn't get Sakura or anyone else involved in the grail war. He couldn't have her worry about him even more let alone, place her in danger, so Shirou had to lie for both his sake, and for her's.

"No, I didn't go anywhere last night, and I didn't leave the house today."

Sakura sighed in relief and gave the auburn-haired teen a smile. "I'm glad. I'm really glad you remembered senpai."

Shirou returned the smile. "Hey now, I'm not the kind who just doesn't keep their promises you know?" Shirou said.

The Violet-haired girl paused for a second, as if she had seen something out of place. "Um, senpai?"

"What is it, Sakura?" Shirou replied.

"Um, who's that woman over there?" Sakura asked out of curiosity.

"Woman?" It clicked. The woman Sakura was referring to was caster, who was standing behind Shirou. "Gah!" The red head quickly turned around to see his servant standing right there.

_"Crap! How am I going to explain this?"_ Shirou thought to himself as he made quick glances at Caster and Sakura. _"I guess she could be one of dad's old friends..."_ It was then that the red head had came up with an adequate back story for Caster. Now if only they would take the bait.

"Um, this is an old acquaintance of my old man's. Her name is-" Before he could speak, Caster cut in.

"Shanoa. My name is Shanoa. Pleased to meet you." Caster spoke politely as she bowed. Shirou was surprised and didn't expect her to cut in like that, but still if Caster went along with it, then it would be much easier for him to explain.

"It's nice to meet you too." Sakura bowed politely. "My name is Sakura. Sakura Matou."

"I shall call you Sakura then." Shanoa replied as she nodded.

"You see, Cast- er, Shanoa came here to japan to visit my dad. She has no place to stay, so I'm just letting her stay here for the time being." Shirou explained. "So, be nice to her would you Sakura?"

"Um, alright." Sakura gave the red head a nod.

Unknown to the trio, a dark armored figure observed them from the shadows. "Hmm..."

* * *

Before they knew it, the day was ending. Illya had dragged Soma all over town to various stores and little shops. During the afternoon they had stopped by a restaurant for lunch, then continued their day, visiting candy stores until they decided to retire at Fuyuki park.

The park was empty and a barren area which people rarely visited. The grass and trees appeared to be burnt, after all, this was the area where the fire broke out and claimed the lives of many ten years ago. Soma and Illya sat next to each other on a bench in the seemingly deserted park.

"Thanks for taking me to all those places." Illya smiled sweetly at Soma, grateful for his company.

"Um, you're welcome..." Soma smiled nervously at her. Although he appeared to be calm and friendly, He was confused as to what Illya's intent was in dragging him around.

"You're a nice person, aren't you?" Illya said as she rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes.

_"This is getting creepy... First she tries to kill me, then she asks me out on a date? And people will get the wrong idea if this keeps up!" _Soma thought to himself as he couldn't understand Illyasviel at all. What's more, is that during the day, he and Illya had gotten so many stares, from bystanders who assumed that Soma was into little girls. This was one of his main concerns as rumors will be spread about him if this keeps up.

And before they knew it, the sun had set. Illya jumped up from her seat and gave Soma another smile. "Today was really fun! But I have to go now. Sella will be mad if I'm not home soon."

"Yeah... it is getting dark out." Soma nodded, then realized he forgot something very important. "Crap... Saber!" Saber had been waiting for Soma back at his apartment all day. He could only imagine how mad she must be.

"I have to go now too... Saber's been waiting for me all day." Soma said as he stood up.

"I decided that I won't fight you tonight." Illya said smiling. "I'll see you soon Soma!" With that said Illyasviel ran out of the park, leaving Soma alone.

Soma let out a deep sigh of both relief and exhaustion. far away in the park, a mysterious man had been observing Soma and Illya all day. He had brown hair, and wore a pair of green glasses, a grey coat, a light blue shirt underneath, and white pants.

"Well, well, it looks like he's finally alone." The man smiled as he took a sip from a juice box.

"Then it's time. Let us test him to see if he truly is the reincarnation of the Dragon himself." The voice of an older man spoke, but he was nowhere to be seen.

With that said, the atmosphere changed dramatically as it was now dark and fog shrouded the park. Soma felt uneasy in the area. It felt like something straight out of a horror movie as Soma checked his surroundings as he felt an unearthly presence.

"What's going on... who's there?" The white-haired youth then heard cracking sounds near him. Dark humanoid undead, creatures were coming out of the ground, letting out a ghostly wail. There were fifteen of them in total as they surrounded him.

An eldritch red gauntlet appeared on Soma's right arm as a dark whip of some kind, manifested and was swung at the creatures as they charged at him. The dark whip cleaved one of the creatures in two before making it's way to two more cutting them in half. The white haired youth spun around in a 360, taking out the creatures behind him and in front of him. _"This is bad... These things appear seemingly weak, but when in great numbers, they have an advantage."_

The undead creatures swarm the white-haired teen. Soma was not fully a master at using the Shadow whip or the Void Sword, therefore, using those weapons takes up a lot of Mana. Soma had to think fast. His life was on the line, and he didn't know how much longer he can hold up. With his back against the corner, Soma continued to lash the shadow whip at the undead creatures, slashing them apart until he felt a pain on his arm, and fell to his knee. "Damn!"

More of the creatures began to swarm him, letting out, demonic wails. Before they had a chance to attack, about five arrows, that emitted a violet glow, rained down and struck the creatures, destroying them instantly. More of the arrows were fired onto the creatures, disposing of them with relative ease.

"Who's there?" Soma asked as he looked in the direction where the arrows came from. In the distance, he saw a young girl, with long black hair, holding a bow in her hand.

"Archer..."

* * *

Author's note: Another chapter is finished! Here, Soma gets dragged into a date with Illya, Shanoa meets Sakura, and three new shady characters have appeared. The man who was watching Soma is the master of Assassin, however, Assassin has not appeared yet. Can you guess who this new master is? Also, the unseen man, who summoned those creatures should be obvious now. The armored man watching Shirou, Caster and Sakura is Zobek's lieutenant, and he'll be appearing more often in later chapters. He won't be a servant however. So far, the only servants who has yet to appear are, Rider and Assassin. I've decided who Rider is gonna be but it won't be Medusa. Anyone who has any suggestions on who should be Assassin, please leave them in your reviews.

As for Archer/Homura's role, her situation will be similar to EMIYA's where she can't remember anything about herself, but as the war goes on, she'll begin to remember bits and pieces about her past, and her goal to save Madoka. After she remembers, she'll be dead set on obtaining the holy grail. The events of PMMM will be slightly different in this and Homura will soon develop some feelings for Soma throughout the story. When Saber finds out about his connection to Gabriel and her own past, Saber will be extra protective of him, and when Rin finds out how close they are, it'll soon turn into a competition for his affection. Add Illya and Homura in the mix, and Soma will have a lot on his hands.

As for Shirou and Shanoa... The two will grow closer and Sakura will grow jealous of her. When that happens... let's just say it won't be good.

Next chapter, Soma will get scolded by Saber for coming home so late lol. Stay tuned for more.


End file.
